Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

Aims: To examine the effect of maternal alcohol use during pregnancy on infant behavioral outcomes and birth weight, and to investigate the differential susceptibility of infant behavioral outcomes and birth weight to prenatal alcohol exposure. Methods: Data on children born to women taking part in the United States National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY) (n = 1618) were analyzed using the sibling fixed-effects model, which helps adjust for maternal, genetic and social confounders when examining effects of pre-natal exposure to possible toxins such as alcohol. Mothers were classified as non-drinkers, light-to-moderate drinkers and heavy drinkers according to their frequency of alcohol use during pregnancy. Infants' behavioral outcomes were assessed using the modified Rothbart Infant Behavior Questionnaire in the NLSY, which measures three dimensions of behavioral outcomes: positive mood, fearfulness and difficultness. Results: Estimates from the model indicated that drinking during pregnancy was positively associated with infant difficultness, but not with positive mood or fearfulness. Further analysis by frequency of alcohol use suggested that both light-to-moderate and heavy drinking were associated with an increase in infant difficultness. Additionally, while low-to-moderate drinking during pregnancy was associated with infant difficultness, drinking at this level was not associated with low birth weight. Conclusion: The findings suggest that maternal alcohol use during pregnancy is a risk factor for infant behavioral outcomes, after taking into account many confounding factors. Infant behavioral outcomes appear to be more vulnerable to light-to-moderate levels of alcohol use during pregnancy than birth weight is.

Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

Short summary: Racial/ethnic groups had similar risks for earlier onset and recurrence/persistence of alcohol problems, but Blacks were at significantly greater risk than Whites for later onset in the 30s. Cumulative poverty and heavy drinking explained away this disparity, and were risk factors for recurring/persistent problems.

Methods: Using data from the US National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979-1994 waves (n = 6098), past-year alcohol problems were measured in 1989 (mean age = 28) and in 1994 (mean age = 33) among drinkers. Patterns of alcohol problems were categorized as no problems, earlier onset in 20s/offset in 30s, later onset in 30s, and recurrence or persistence (at both time points). Multinomial regression models adjusted for demographics, cumulative poverty, HD and timing of social role transitions (marital, parental).

Bibliography Citation

Lui, Camillia K. and Nina Mulia. "A Life Course Approach to Understanding Racial/Ethnic Differences in Transitions Into and Out of Alcohol Problems." Alcohol and Alcoholism 53,4 (July 2018): 487-496.